Bring Down the Curtain

How was it? Tasty, yet slightly blurry? Good. That is how it’s suppose to be. That was my New Year’s, too. Spilled some Champagne and rocked it with good friends.

This is my all time favorite. Hot and Cold Pea and Green Bean Salad. The combination is fresh, bright and purposeful. Hot side: Green beans, peas, pine nuts and shallots. Cold Side: celery, fennel, bib lettuce, parsley, lemon and olive oil. About a handful of each. You can vary the amount of ingredients depending on your taste. But, please don’t drop any of them. The melody makes the salad.

Main Course: Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Colcannon on a Port Demi Glace. A thing of beauty. One moment please. I am crying a little bit just thinking about it. Feeding people food this good is borderline reckless. The beef was roasted in the oven at 300 with salt, pepper, and olive oil until it reached 120. Then, it rested and so did I. Colcannon is basically mashed potatoes mixed at the last minute with chopped, pan roasted white cabbage. Don’t cook the cabbage too long, it needs to retain its crunch. It doesn’t sound like much, but is greater than the sum of its parts. Careful. This will appear on Irish girls’ radars, so cook it quietly and eat it quickly, lest they take your seconds.

Remember the roast from Christmas that cost sixty hundred million dollars? Well, my accountant does. The good news? It went a little farther than that meal. I saved the bones and simmered them in water for six or so hours into the lovely demi glace. Once the bones had given up their goodness, I added Port wine and a little flour and butter to thicken it up.

Ka-ching! 2009 grinding to a halt with good friends Henry and Jamie in attendance. The curtain falls and that’s it for 2009. Hey Austin, I’m watching you. Let’s get cooking 2010.